Wicker Hearts
by MarginalMary
Summary: Love: it's catching.
1. Prologue: See and Be Seen

_**This my first Harry Potter piece. I've never worked within such a dense canon before, so please point out any mistakes. (Accuracy is a credit to the original author.)**_

_**J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. (But magicland lives in my heart.)**_

R&R

**Enjoy!**

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_Prologue: See and Be Seen_

James called this place nursery school.

Lily Luna Potter spent her days at _nursery school_.

More accurately, 'elementary school,' where she was supposed to listen attentively and behave herself.

Lily's hours here were spent in a bright, noisy classroom, its butter yellow walls covered by finger paintings and colorful alphabet and number charts.

Her parents sent her and her brothers to muggle school because they wanted their children to have 'normal' childhoods. Instead of learning reading, writing, and arithmetic at home like most magical children, James, Albus, and Lily went to muggle school. Like their father; like Teddy.

Lily's parents wanted their children to grow up outside of the fishbowl scrutiny with which the wizarding world regarded the Potters and anyone connected to them. Harry wanted to protect his children from that stifling atmosphere as long as possible. Ginny wanted her children to learn to socialize with children their own age whom they weren't related to. Both motives were valid, and muggle early education seemed the best solution. As an added bonus, James, Albus, and Lily — and Teddy before them — had a healthy respect for the law, understanding both the need for secrecy and the dignity of muggles.

So, here in her first grade classroom, waiting impatiently for the end of the school day, Lily watched a jay fly, spiraling around a bird bath in the yard, seemingly unable to decide if landing in it was a good idea. She wanted to laugh but thought better of it.

Lily liked _being liked_, and laughing for no apparent reason would seem odd. And she was already a bit odd — though not in a bad way, she was sure.

The final bell rang suddenly, making Lily jump. After a string of announcements, some well wishes for the weekend, and one 'I'll see you next week, class,' Lily leapt up out of her seat, stuffing all her school things into her bag without even looking.

Skipping to the door and wearing a dazzling smile, Lily waved goodbye, yelling, "Bye, guys!" over her shoulder. She ran out and down the hall as fast as her feet would carry her.

This evening, her parents were taking Lily and her brothers to Diagon Alley to visit Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Freddie, and Roxie.

Lily dashed out into the school yard, skidding to a stop, jumping up and down to see over the heads of other students who had gotten there first.

"Where's the fire?" called a voice behind her, amused and teasing. James tapped her lightly on the shoulder, feigning to the other side and out of her line of sight.

Before she could tell him where the fire was, Albus leaned out from behind James, his face smug. "On your head, of course, _Weasley_," he said, gesturing to James' indefensibly flaming red hair.

Whipping around and laughing, Lily grabbed James' hand, pulling him along. "Come on, Jamie! Alby!" she exclaimed, "Where's Dad? Can you see him?"

James lagged, making Lily pull hard. Albus followed, laughing at his sister but taking pity on her all the same, grabbing James' other hand to pull as well.

Their uncooperative brother just shook his head, letting himself be towed forward to the edge of the yard where parents massed waiting for their children to appear.

"Hmm…" Albus hummed unnecessarily, looking left and right without success, "Either of you see him?"

Lily tapped her foot impatiently, not bothering to answer. How was she supposed to find their dad when she couldn't see over the heads of the students in front of her? Albus was being insensitive to her paltry height. She harrumphed.

James—occasionally practical—crouched down and glanced at Lily expectantly. She nodded enthusiastically, moving to stand in front of him and widening her stance.

He grabbed Lily's little legs, pushing forward and lifting her onto his shoulders. "Better?" he asked, looking up, winking at her slyly.

Lily giggled, lifting her hand to shield her eyes, imitating a sailor looking out over the sea.

"Land-ho…" Albus breathed distractedly, one eye on his sister to make sure she didn't fall and one eye searching the crowd.

James was less helpful, merely waiting for one or the other of them to spot their dad. He just sighed, ribbing, "My, you're getting heavy, Lil. Maybe you should skip the treacle tart every once in a while."

Albus moved automatically to throw an elbow into James' stomach, but then he thought better of it. James might lose his balance. Then, Lily would fall. "Shut up, Jamie," he muttered.

Lily leaned over, her face — though upside down — only inches away from her eldest brother's, offering her take on things, "Maybe you're a weakling, eh? Maybe you're the problem."

Without even looking away from James' frowning face, she reached over to share a high-five with Albus. Of course, Albus' hand was already there, in position to oblige.

"Brave little monkey," James grumbled, "I could easily drop you on your head!"

Not missing a beat, Albus warned, "And then I would kick you in the head."

James shrugged as best as he was able, conceding, "Two against one. I just can't catch a break."

Ignoring both her brothers for the most part, Lily yelled, waving madly, "Oh, Dad! Over here, Dad!"

Albus followed her eyes, finding the bespectacled, black haired man they called father. He pulled James along, moving slowly through the mass of bodies toward the gate, hassling and jostling their way into the open.

"Yo, Pops," James greeted, leaning over in a kind of bow, waiting for their dad to do the habitual thing: nabbing Lily off her brother's shoulders and hugging her tightly.

"Hey, guy. How was school today?" asked Harry, father of these three, looking them over for any signs of wear and tear.

Albus shuffled his feet a bit, studying his shoes, being quieter than usual. On an average day, he was bursting with news—what he had learned that day, what he scored on his last test, what he had had for lunch. Today, not so much.

Recognizing this odd behavior, Lily, James, and Harry spoke at the same time.

"What's a matter, Alby?"

"Wha'd you do this time, Al?"

"Albus? Something wrong, son?"

Albus frowned looking from one concerned face to the next, trying to decide how best to answer. "I… um, _might_ have… maybe done—on accident, mind?—a bit of… magic today." He blushed crimson, staring down at his shoes again.

Lily reached down from her father's arms, ruffling Albus's already messy hair, informing him seriously, "_I_ still love you, Alby."

James rolled his eyes, moving toward the back door of the car without comment. It wasn't worth the trouble. Still, he left the front seat unoccupied for Albus: the best seat by far.

Harry carried Lily to the other side of the car, thinking hard, shuffling Lily to his other hip. Buckling her in, he gave both she and James a grave look, reminding them not to make fun of Albus regardless of the story.

Albus strapped himself in absently, looking out of the window without hope. "Thanks, Jamie," he murmured under his breath, knowing his brother left him the front seat to make him feel better.

James shuddered theatrically, begging, "Don't mention it. Ever."

Lily laughed, grinning at no one in particular.

Pulling out of the gravel lot slowly, Harry summoned his 'parental authority' face, asking, "What happened this time, Al?" Albus used magic unconsciously more often than James ever had.

"Well… I sort of got mad when that kid Timothy Waxler started making fun of my name, you know? It wasn't such a big deal though," Albus began haltingly, "But then, he started in on our whole family, saying stupid things about how odd we are—'freaky,' he called us. Tim called Jamie a big-headed git and Lily a stupid brat. I just couldn't _help _it, Dad! One minute my milk cartoon was in my hand, full to the top. And then, it was empty and Timothy's head was… _wet._ Milky, you might say…"

Lily frowned, grinding her tiny fist into her opposite palm, expression vaguely menacing. James just shrugged, deciding unwillingly that justice had been served.

Harry considered this information carefully, trying to be objective. He knew the insecurity arising from being called a 'freak.' And he knew the scars from being bullied weren't easily erased. It was hard to look the other way when someone ridiculed your family.

Trying to sound level, he eyed his son surreptitiously, asking, "Nothing happened before that? You didn't provoke this kid at all? And what about after—you didn't get into trouble with your teacher?"

Albus exhaled in a huff, crossing his arms defensively, "Julia Marsh was asking about our family, you know? Just asking why I never talk about what you and Mom do for a living and why I never have friends over and why Jamie, Lil, and I seem so close. Well, Timothy… _likes_ Julia, I think. So he got mad that she was paying so much attention to me."

James laughed, interjecting, "Look at it this way, Dad. I'm sure drowning the guy in milk saved Albus from answering her. He'd have to lie, right? And Al's a rubbish liar."

Lily observed the exchange with an avid expression, absorbing everything, feeling bad for Albus, agreeing with James, hoping her dad wasn't too mad, and disliking this Timothy person intensely.

Harry had to repress a chuckle, schooling his features into an impassive expression. "What happened after the milk… _drowning_?" He couldn't help himself, winking at James in the rearview mirror.

"I got a recess detention. I need you to sign it," Albus grumbled bitterly, "Timothy didn't get in trouble at all — even though Julia explained whole thing to our teacher!" Indignation was plain on every Potter face.

Harry ran a hand through his untidy hair, eventually nodding, asking one final question, "Albus Severus, I'll never know if you're lying or telling the truth about this, but I'm trusting you to give it to me straight: did you do it on purpose or was it just an accident?"

Albus frowned at his father, almost offended by the thought, replying stiffly, "I wouldn't do something like that on purpose. If I _was_ going to fight back, I wouldn't do something so stupid. I'm lucky no one noticed!"

Harry winced a bit, believing Albus implicitly. "Alright then. How about we… keep this little slip up from Mom, yeah? She gets upset when you guys loose control, and she'd be pretty… mad at this Timothy kid. No need to stir the cauldron, right?"

His children answered in tandem:

Lily nodded vigorously, offering her favorite new saying, "A capital idea!"

James grinned, saying in tones of mock shock, "Didn't know you had it in you, Dad! I'm so-o proud."

Albus tilted his head, deciding that his father's plan was for the best and that the situation could be much worse. "Thanks Dad, Lil, Jamie. I'd rather not… 'stir' anything."

Lily fought the urge to unbuckle her seat belt and climb into the front seat to hug Albus. She comforted herself, knowing she'd hug him later.

Harry turned onto a familiar avenue wending its meandering way through rural spring to their home. Moving on, he asked, "And you, James? How was school?"

James thought about it, replaying the day and looking for anything significant. He wasn't stupid by anyone's estimation, but he wasn't studious by anyone's estimation either. The details of one day's lessons blurred vaguely into the details of the last. Who knew exactly what the teacher had said? Who cared? Not James.

Other than lessons, James was making an effort to distance himself from his classmates and friends. Next year he'd be off to Hogwarts — just like Teddy used to. James _needed_ to distance himself; though deeply in denial, he was sensitive on the subject of abandoning the only school he had ever known.

Yawning blithely, James shared the noteworthy aspects of his day, "Totally boring. Lunch was yummy though."

Albus shook his head with almost parental exasperation; Lily bounced up and down, eager to share the details of her day; and Harry shrugged.

"Lil," Harry prompted.

She cleared her throat importantly, eying James imperiously and daring him to interrupt. "Ms. Shelby returned our test papers today, Daddy! I _did_ get an A on my book report; you were right. Amanda got a hair cut — I told her it looked nice. Hmm… I traded pencils with Mark; his was purple and mine was black. Of course, I wanted his, so it worked out nicely. I learned four new words today: 'phantom,' 'plaintive,' 'impervious,' and 'behemoth.' Oh, yes—I almost forgot! Simon said I'm pretty. Don't worry, though; I told him thank you like a good girl. In math class, we started—"

James cut across her, "'Pretty?' And 'thank you?' What's all that supposed to mean?"

Albus was choking in the front seat, and Harry didn't trust himself to speak.

Lily frowned darkly— James was always interrupting her! She thought about the question for a moment, admittedly unsure what he was really asking. "It means what I said, Jamie. He said I'm pretty. And I know that already, but I didn't forget my manners or anything. I remembered to say thank you."

Silence. The men in Lily's life paused to contemplate where they had gone wrong. She was just a little bit full of herself, _too_ confident maybe.

Albus took one for the team, objecting, "Lil, you're seven. Nobody's pretty when they're seven. I hate to break it to you, but you're just a shrimp. A cute shrimp, but still."

Lily huffed, rolling her eyes, rejecting Albus' opinion on the matter with ease. "Alby, look here! Everyone in class wants to be my friend, and Ms. Shelby says I'm 'charming.' And Granddad Weasely says I'm 'pretty' all the time." Lily stared fixedly at the head rest in front of her, picturing her dad's face in her mind. "Daddy," she began hopefully, "you think I'm pretty, right? Daddy, don't you?"

Harry answered automatically, unable to deny his baby girl anything when she sounded so vulnerable. "Of course you are, Lil."

James coughed something that sounded suspiciously like, "Pushover." Albus made a gagging noise, staring out of the window balefully, feeling betrayed by his dad's weak resolve.

Lily smiled winningly at both of her brothers, either missing the point or ignoring it, replying, "_Thank you_, Daddy."

Albus and James thought she sounded quite snooty for a seven year old. Harry tried not to think about it at all.

Pulling up to an iron wrought gate — and then magically through it — the Potters drove up the long drive to the their cottage in Godric's Hollow.

Lily rolled down her window, leaning out as if to see their home first.

Though it was small, just an old brick house with black shutters and a red front door, the cottage sat on twenty acres of woodsy, rolling land. The window boxes were overflowing with spring flowers — daisies, marigolds, and, of course, lilies. The front yard was slightly raised, large and brilliantly green, merging gently with the woods surrounding it. From there, the dense, tall trees on the property offered seclusion: a necessity when trying to avoid photographers, reporters, and tourists. As an added bonus, Potter Bluff was only a short drive from Grandma and Grandpa Potter's 'old house' and was backed against the jewel tone sea.

A home for Harry and Ginny. A second home for Teddy. And eventually, a home for James, Albus, and Lily.

Parking in the unattached garage, Harry eyed the amassed miscellanies of 17 years — the children's tricycles and bicycles, bent brooms and rusted cauldrons, musty robes and out dated muggle clothes, potion ingredients and James' pet tarantula, Remus or just Remy for short. Boxes of photographs and letters and newspaper clippings. Ginny's first wand was somewhere in here mixed in with faded textbooks, perhaps in their old school trunks. Harry's pensive, a graduation gift from Slughorn— the old man seemed to think Harry Potter's memories were worth preserving. "For prosperity," he had said knowingly. — used to be under the industrial size sink. But Albus had discovered it when he was four; he couldn't sleep alone for months. Needless to say, the pensive was securely hidden in Harry and Ginny's closet now. And one corner of the garage was noticeably empty; Teddy had moved his things to Grimmauld Place, which was rightfully his in Harry's opinion because Teddy was one of the last of the Blacks, last June after graduation.

Lily's preferred to save most of her things, keeping them tucked away in her Expanded closet. 'The Lily L. Potter Museum,' Teddy called it.

"Guys…" Harry began.

James sighed, aggrieved. "We know. 'Guys, we need to clean out the garage.'" Under his breathe, he added, "Like _that_ will ever happen." He glared at Teddy's empty corner with a disgruntled expression.

Albus merely eyed the heaps of discarded things speculatively. He was tentatively curious — what treasures were hidden in here? Hopefully nothing as… _vivid_ as his father's pensive.

"Are there pretty things here, Daddy? Can I have any pretty things we find?" asked Lily, visions of flowing gowns and goblin-made jewelry, magic wands and time turners dancing in her mind.

Hoping out of the car, the Potters removed lunch boxes and school bags, pausing only when they heard the tell-tale snarl of an engine racing up the drive.

James grinned, bounding out into the yard, calling over his shoulder, "Mum's home. Yes!"

"Oh, yes!" Lily agreed, "Now, we can leave. I can play with Roxie when we get there, right? As long as we stay close, right, Daddy?" Not waiting for an answer, she ran after James, her backpack bouncing up and down against her butt the whole way.

Albus was slower, pausing to wait for his father to remove a file box — 'Dad's homework' — from the trunk. Together, they joined the welcoming party in the front of the house.

Ginny Potter came screeching to a halt feet away from her family. The high gloss of her blood red motorcycle caught the light, throwing glare against her black racing helmet. Lifting it off of her head and shaking out her long red hair, Ginny smirked. She lowered the kick stand and cut the engine. Then, jumping off her bike and pulling her wand from up her shelve, Ginny's eyes fell closed in concentration. The motorcycle went pletting into the garage, coming to rest next to Harry's car with a loud "_whack_" against the concrete.

Albus grinned, commenting, "Smooth, Mum. Real smooth."

His mother merely shrugged. Finesse had never been her thing. Power was where she shined.

"Hey, kids, Harry," Ginny greeted them happily, "Are you all just going to stand there gawking or am I going to be smothered by hugs and kisses? _'Oh, Mum, we missed you! We couldn't go on without you!'_ That sort of thing." She threw her arms wide, already knowing the answer.

Lily took one running leap, catching a breeze — which, James thought, was not completely natural — landing securely in her mother's waiting arms. "Mummy," she squealed, "did you have a very good day?"

As the family of five made a slow procession into their cottage, Ginny smiled sadly, stage whispering, "No… It wasn't a _very _good day, Lil. You see, my boys—you know the ones? Gangly kid with big feet. And a skinny one with messy hair. And four-eyes over there—they haven't hugged me yet. So, it isn't a _very_ good day at all."

Playing along, Lily glowered at her father and brothers, whispering loudly, "They're just being shy, right, boys?" She was pleased by their immediate reactions.

Albus ambled over to wrap himself around Ginny's waist, and Harry placed both hands on Ginny's shoulders, squeezing lightly. "Hello, beautiful," Harry grinned, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Thinking quickly, he swooped down on Lily as well, adding, "You're beautiful, too."

Lily nodded seriously.

James scowled, thinking himself far too grown up for this. "Yo, Mum," he said, putting down his bag and groaning. He made his way over to his parents and siblings with shuffling feet. Pushing Albus out of the way, James hugged his mother lightly like one might hug a person with a contagious disease.

"Now," Ginny announced, grabbing James with her free hand and holding him there, "I'm having a very good day."

Panicked, James entangled himself, accidental throwing Albus and himself to the floor in his haste to get away. A short scuffle ensued, punctuated by Lily jumping from her mother's arms on top of Albus and James.

Harry rested his chin on Ginny's shoulder, pulling her back against his chest, embracing her from behind. She folded one hand over his and reached with the other to touch his face. Together, they watched their children roll around on the floor laughing and breathless from their impromptu tickle fight. Both parents smiled wonderingly, thankful and overawed.

Ginny broke away, exclaiming, "Hey! Wait for me!" She wrestled both of her sons to the ground, showing off her hard earned skills, remembering similar brawls between she and her brothers.

Grinning, Harry 'saved' Lily, lifting her high and spinning her around until they were both dizzy.

Breathless all around, Lily thought it her duty to remind everyone, "We really should be going. Uncle George will close Wheezes. Alby will be so sad." Lily winked at her dad, remembering a secret he had told her this morning after breakfast.

Albus's stared at her incredulous, pointing at James by way of explanation. James would be sad; Albus really didn't care.

Lily glanced over at her mother conspiratorially, looking for a sign. Her mother nodded encouragingly. Lily cleared her throat, informing Albus, "It's a surprise, but guess who is going to there!"

James didn't care who would be where as long as he got to his uncle's shop before it closed. He stole Albus and Lily's school things, bounding noisily up the stairs to stash them in their bedrooms.

Albus thought about it for a second, hardly trusting himself to speak. "… Rose, maybe," he guessed hopefully. Rose was his closest and favorite cousin, his best friend who he did not get to see as much he would have liked. Then again, Albus would have liked Rose to live with them. Seeing her often meant something different to him than his parents. As it was, Albus had not seen Rose in two weeks — a lifetime by his estimation.

Lily and Ginny grinned like well fed cats, both nodding. Harry checked his watch, deciding they should be going. "Yes," he answered Albus distractedly, "Hermione dropped her off after school. Rose is sleeping at our house tonight."

"Albus feed the fish. Lily feed your cat. Ginny, the owls?" Harry said in his 'at work' voice. Glancing up at the ceiling like he could see through it, he continued, "James feed that… feed Remy, eh?" Aside from Hagrid, Teddy, and James, no one liked Remy much.

In a sudden whirl of industry, Albus fed his Chinese fighting fish, Cathy and Sampson. Lily fed and rubbed her cat, Moody. The aged, tan kitty only had one blue eye and a terrible temper, so the name seemed appropriate. James sped out the house to the garage, grumbling mutinously about "underappreciated wildlife." Ginny pushed owl treats into three cages housing the Potters' owls: Joe, an Athena Owl with marbled gray and white feathers and black around the eyes like sunglasses; Dooby, an old retired barn owl, all white around the head with golden brown wings; and Leo. Leo was technically Lily's pygmy owl — rather large for a pygmy — with a black and gray head and wings and a pure white belly.

After, they were done, Ginny and Harry gathered their children in the living room, lining them up in front of the Enlarged fireplace. Grabbing the Floo dish off the mantle, Ginny warned them sternly, "Now, each of you take a pinch. And be sure to say '_the Leaky Cauldron' _clearly. I don't want another incident like last time." She eyed James with dark suspicious. The last time they had traveled by Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, James had said "the Leaky Nose" just for fun. He ended up at the flu and cold counter at St. Mungos.

One after the other, each of the Potters disappeared in a flash of green smoke and soot. They reappeared, less than pristine, in the dimly lit foyer of a familiar pub. Harry and Ginny braced themselves for the ogling sure to come. The patrons of the Leaky Cauldron paused, glancing them over, then doing a double take. A swarthy man in slacks at the farthest table stood to get a better look. A woman in ruby robes and a silver sash dropped her tea cup right into her lap.

Feeling foolish and awkward, Harry offered a little wave, turning away from his _audience_ as quickly as he could without seeming rude. Ginny didn't bother keeping up appearances; she raised a poignant brow, silently reminding the crowd of their manners. James, Albus, and Lily merely stared back at the strangers, almost as curious about the unfamiliar faces as the unfamiliar faces were curious about them.

After a moment, James shrugged, pretending ignorance. Albus grabbed Lily's hand, pulling her closer protectively without stopping to consider the impulse.

But Lily grinned and waved, calling out in her ringing voice, "Hello, everyone! Where is Mrs. Longbottom?" Lily searched the crowd for Hannah Longbottom's blond head. Like many of her parents' school friends, Lily considered the Longbottoms extended family. Uncle Neville and Aunt Hannah came to the Burrow for Christmas and Easter, and, when school was out for the summer, they came over for dinner or tea. And, of course, the Potters ran into Aunt Hannah — sometimes Uncle Neville on weekends — whenever they passed through the Leaky Cauldron.

"I'm over here, Lily!" Hannah Longbottom called, moving slowly backward down the hostel stairs with a basket of linens in her arms, "Hello, Harry, Ginny, kids!"

Moving to a more secluded corner of the pub near the bar, Harry took the basket out of his friend's grip so Ginny could hug her.

"It's been a while," Ginny complained, "Neville writes, of course, but… since Teddy left school last year, his letters have been thinner."

Harry grinning ruefully, noting, "But maybe it's better this way. Most of those thick letters had something to do with the latest trouble my godson landed himself in."

"Teddy's _so_ cool," James nodded in agreement.

Hannah laughed, pulling her wand from her apron and sending the laundry whizzing into a back storeroom with a whispered spell. "So, here for dinner or are you on your way to George's?" she asked.

Albus rocked on the balls of his feet, explaining brightly, "We're here to get Rose!"

"_And_ to play with Roxie," Lily added helpfully.

Ginny nodded absently, "Visiting the store, you know?" Belatedly, she noticed the soot smudged on her childrens' noses and clothes. She wondered how Harry could even see with his glasses coated in ash. "Hannah, you have a brush? My children look a bit... overcooked."

The two women shared wry looks before Hannah handed over a rag and a brush from behind the bar. Ignoring their grumblings, Ginny cleaned her children, herself, and then her husband.

Harry rubbed the soot off his glass with the rag, fighting off a wave of nostalgia. In so many ways, his life had begun at this very spot. Missing his friend Neville more so than usual, Harry told Hannah that he, Ginny, and the kids would be back later for dinner. Perhaps bringing some extra Weasleys with them.

Ginny began herding James, Albus, and Lily out the back door of the bar, waving over her shoulder regretfully and rolling her eyes at their impatience.

By unspoken agreement, the Potters and Potters' friends pretended not to notice the lingering stares from the other people in the bar. It would only be worse on the streets of Diagon Alley.

Harry leaned over to hug Hannah goodbye, promising to see her later as he walked away.

"Yes, do come back," she called distractedly, "Luna has news. Just wait till you hear!"

Catching up with his wife and children, Harry inhaled deeply in preparation, strangely pleased that James, Albus, and Lily seemed immune to the ordeal people made of them. Tapping into the special magic between them, Ginny grabbed his hand, silently and subtly supportive.

"Right, well," James demanded, "are we just going to stand here staring at a brick wall?"

Albus and Lily leaned out of the way so their mother's wand could touch all the right bricks in exactly the right order.

Diagon Alley, the hidden world of magic, opened before them; rickety leaning buildings, flaky characters hackling wares, a perfusion of every color imaginable, and smells running the gambit from nauseating to mouthwatering. And the vibrant sounds of life pulsed around them; a mother running after her toddler on a toy broom, a trio of busy men in black robes and top hats, a couple smooching under a fairy-light lantern.

Albus could hardly contain himself, bouncing on his mothers arm, pulling her forward jerkily. "Come on!" James called, already running to the awfully _orange_ three and some odd stories tall building at a corner several blocks down, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Lily reached up to her father, her intent obvious. She knew they would get there eventually, and Albus and James looked rather dopy carrying on like that.

Harry lifted Lily up in one arm, lagging behind Ginny and his sons, sharing a calmer moment and pace with his baby girl. "Are you tired, Lil?" he asked her quietly.

"Nah-ah," she murmured, looking backward over his shoulder, "I just wanted to look around longer."

Father and daughter lapsed into comfortable silence as they headed down the road, Harry's hand sweeping lazily through Lily's dark red hair.

Lily glanced here and there, taking it all in, watching people watch her—more likely watching her dad, she thought.

But Lily felt only pride. This was her place in the world, safe and loved in her daddy's arms, never doubting that her family was special.

A block up from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, little boy with white blond hair stood at his father's side, listening halfheartedly to the latest ministry drama. Some woman crossed to the opposite sidewalk when she saw the little boy—more likely his father. He didn't allow it to bother him; he hardly noticed at all.

Instead, his eyes were drawn to the curious silence sweeping the dusky street. Raising a brow as would his father if his father was paying attention, the little boy saw a man—thin and black haired—walking down the street with a small red-headed girl on his hip.

They seemed utterly unremarkable.

Almost bored enough to turn back to his father and his father's acquaintance, the little boy sighed deeply. But then the small redhead peeked out from over her father's shoulder, looking straight at him with an ambivalent expression.

Then, she smiled wide and careless, waving a little like one might if they were friends finding each other accidentally.

And the small girl did not look away. She watched him and smiled for a long moment—if she wasn't so… young, the intensity and length of her gaze would be rude.

"Scorpius?" his father called quietly, "Let's go." Something taut in his father's tone drew Scorpius' attention away from the small, redheaded, smiling, staring girl.

"Yes, lets," Scorpius agreed vaguely, offering his hand to his father so they could leave immediately. Still, Scorpius glanced back, hoping to find the girl again, perhaps to wave to her in return or to ask his father who she was.

But she was gone.

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A/N: So, I've decided to play with this when I'm bored wth other stuff. On we go:

~Mare


	2. Chapter 1: Almost Ready

"I'm _still _not ready yet!" Lily Potter snapped, throwing her brother James a dirty look in the mirror above her wicker-work dresser. She had half a mind to close the door in his exasperated face. He'd been pestering her since breakfast.

James, whose mouth was open to ask for the seventh time if she was quite finished, closed it with an audible click. Then, he rolled his eyes and sighed, aggrieved. In an effort force her to a quickened pace, he walked to her gleaming new school trunk and peered inside to see what, if anything, was missing. Finding that she had managed to pack what he perceived to be everything her owned apart from the furniture in her trunk, James plopped on the edge of her bed to wait.

With familiar indifference, he eyed the bisque walls and pale yellow damasked curtains, the fluffy cream duvet and yellow polka dotted linens, the dark lacquered sledge bed and white washed wicker bedside cabinet, armoire, and dresser. A wide range of things — her posters, picture frames, books, music records, singing stationary, and odds and ends collection of Wheezie toys — were conspicuously absent. However, the door to her enormous closet was slightly ajar, and intermittent whirring and specters ghosted thence. _At least_, he conceded with not-so-brotherly glee, _Mum convinced her to leave off whining for Dad to Enlarge her trunk to fit all that useless stuff into it too. _

Meanwhile, Lily ignored her brother completely, continuing to brush her long auburn hair and debate what style she should set it in. A pony tail, a braid, pig tails, a ballet bun, a French twist? Or, perhaps, she'd leave it down with her favorite silver headband.

Egging her on, James chanted, _"_All Aboard! _Chuga-chuga-chuga choo-choo!_" under his breath, his gaze now fixed on the clock on her otherwise bare bedside cabinet. It read ten minutes to ten.

Without warning, Lily spun on her heel, brandishing her brush like a baton. "Headband, it is," she informed the room at large. Then, she skipped to her trunk at James's heels and began rummaging for the silver headband her cousin Victoire had given her for her eleventh birthday.

"Lily?" Ginny's preoccupied voice preceded her into Lily's bedroom. "Lily, it's nearly time to go." She paused at the door, carrying her children's wands in one hand and her own in the other. To prevent the any rule breaking, Harry collected Albus' and James' wands on the platform at the end of term. Lily's nine and a half inches willow wand with phoenix feather core was a recent acquisition and had been tucked away with the others in the linen closet under the stairs right after they'd come home with it.

Spying her eldest son wearing the long suffering expression he reserved for his siblings, Ginny redirected, "Oh, James, if you're taking that… Remy to school with you, you'd better go shut him his cage. And Teddy sent your lucky socks back with a 'thank you' note. They're on the kitchen counter. Turns out he didn't need them to get the job; he starts as a trainee at St. Mungos under Augustus Pie in three weeks. Apparently, good marks in his preparatory classes have more influence than your dad's old socks."

James, his annoyance for his mother's disregard of his lucky socks trumped by jubilation for Teddy's success, leapt from the bed and whooped. He proceeded to do a little jig.

"Augustus Pie?" interjected Lily distractedly, still elbows deep in her trunk. "Isn't that the healer Grandma and Grandpa send fudge every Christmas?"

Bemused, Ginny's gaze flit to her daughter. "Yes, he is. Healer Pie treated Grandpa when he was bitten by Voldemort's snake during the war. But how…?"

Face bright with triumph as she extricated her silver headband, Lily explained, "I helped Grandma address all the Christmas gifts last year, and she told me the story. Grandma doesn't have much patience for muggle methods, does she?" Ginny smiled ruefully, remembering and deciding Lily had put it rather mildly.

Turning to her still-dancing brother, Lily added shrewdly, "Nothing to do with your holey socks, mind. But I bet Grandma's fudge helped. It has kind of magic about it; Weasley fudge, does."

"But Teddy's not a Weasley," James pointed out fairly, though he found no pleasure in the thought.

"Not _yet,_" amended Albus, whose head was now protruding into the room at his mother's side. "Heard him talking to Dad last night. Something about Black family heirlooms, Uncle Bill finally 'coming around to his way of thinking,' and French women with discerning taste."

Holding her headband onto aloft, Lily cheered. She grabbed James' limp arm and cajoled him into a renewed round of victory dancing. In accompaniment, Albus hummed Wagner's March loudly.

Ginny allowed herself a proud grin before turning to her middle child, schooling her features into a disapproving frown. "Don't eavesdrop on private conversations. If Teddy wanted _your_ blessing, he would have come to _you_, not your father. Kid's nervous enough as it is without you lot ribbing on him. I forbid you to say a word about it on the platform."

Though not remotely sorry, Albus had the grace to look mildly ashamed of himself.

Abruptly, James halted, allowing his sister's forward momentum to propel her onto the bed, where, landing gracelessly, she grunted. "Wait," he said slowly, making sure his ears were not deceiving him, "Does that mean we _can_ say something once we're on the train?"

Lily's head, previously perfect hair distinctly disheveled, popped up, listening hopefully, but Albus just sighed, wishing his brother had the presence of mind to refrain from pointing out loopholes in the rules until they'd already been broken. _Not before. _

Ginny's eyes lit with poorly concealed mischief. "I imagine everyone will know by then." She left it at that, privately reveling in Jame's open mouthed wonder and Albus' stunned disbelief. Lily, however, looked far too keen.

"He's really… but the platform?" Lily asked breathlessly. "So many—but what if—No, she's going to... Oh, wow. Just wow."

"I know. Wow," Ginny agreed.

Albus and James looked from their mother to sister, both annoyed and confused.

But before either could ask, Ginny returned her attention to her eldest son, informing him, "And I've released your broomstick from prison, pending good behavior. Next time I tell you to go to the corner market for kitty litter, you _will not _try to fly there. Am I understood?"

Lily snickered, and Albus grinned. James merely gaped again like a grounded fish. "Seriously?" he spluttered eventually. "I mean… I remember you saying I wouldn't touch a broomstick again unless I was sweeping the stoop."

Ginny heaved a mighty sigh and then explained further, "Yes, yes, but then I got to thinking. I can't be responsible for Gryffindor losing our keeper, can I? Between punishing you —_ and rightly so—"_ She shot Albus a surreptitious look; he'd been the one to casually mention the far reaching consequences of depriving James of his Sonic Boom broomstick when they returned to Hogwarts. "—or giving Slytherin an edge, I'll choose the former, lesser evil." Then, she straightened, adding in forbidding tones, "Do. Not. Make. Me. Regret. It."

"Definitely not." James assured her hastily. "And in case I've forgotten to mention it: you're the coolest mother on the block by a mile."

"I'll make sure you don't regret it, Mum," Albus seconded, much to James' chagrin.

Lily rolled her hazel eyes, laughing. She privately doubted Albus could do anything to prevent James from breaking rules. James had a knack for doing precisely what he wanted regardless of Albus' opinion on the matter — not that Albus, himself, was a saint; just far more careful when it counted.

"Al, there's an owl winging its way upstairs!" called the slightly tired but obviously amused voice of Harry Potter from foot of the stairs. No sooner had they digested this information and the fact that Harry had arrived home from an early morning meeting at the Ministry than a small owl zoomed into Lily's bedroom over Ginny's head. It was getting a bit crowded.

"Oh," Albus yelped, reaching out jerkily to catch the creature who tottered midair as though drunk. "It's Milkdud." Milkdud, creamy chocolate feathers ruffled, hooted to Albus in greeting. After a minute of finagling, he managed to remove a letter from the thong tied with a bow to Milkdud's left foot.

Lily raised a brow, watching with bright interest, James shook his head wryly, but only Ginny risked comment. "Anything to share, Al? Julia's alright?"

Milkdud was named dually for an incident during which Albus washed playground rival Timothy Waxler's hair in milk and Albus' namesake Dumbledore's habit of using sweets' brands as passwords, and the owl belonged to Julia Marsh, Albus' long time friend and schoolmate. Discovering Julia was also at Hogwarts after having received her unexpected letter of acceptance to Hogwarts, Albus had come home for the summer after his first year, primed to win a bit more than her friendship. He'd worked all summer degnoming the Weasley family's gardens and bravely testing Wheezie prototypes to earn enough money to buy Julia a welcome-to-the-magical-world present. After much deliberation, a bit of background reading, and a few laughs, Julia had named his gift, the scrawny but enthusiastic tawny owl, in honor of Albus.

In addition to being a muggleborn third year Gryffindor and proud owner of Milkdud, Julia Marsh was Albus Potter's first girlfriend, and it was the opinion of every Potter — _Albus included_ — that she would be his last girlfriend too. Harry, Ginny, and Lily thought Albus would probably marry Julia Marsh one day. Albus was _sure_ he'd marry Julia Marsh in one thousand seven hundred and forty three days (the day after graduation) and would have done so already had it not been for some asinine law prohibiting matrimonially ties between underage witches and wizards. James was sure that Julia Marsh would be Albus' last girlfriend because "no one else was stupid enough to have him."

Milkdud twittering madly at his elbow, Albus scanned the letter hurriedly. "Not much," he finally answered his mother's question and his siblings' expectant silence, "She just wants me to tell Rose to stop pestering her about course selection. Apparently, Rose doesn't approve of Divination."

"Who does?" asked James sagely, picking lint off the hem of his tee-shirt. "Absolute waste of time."

Lily bounced off her bed and grabbed her brush to once more corral her untidy hair. She'd lost interest in Julia's letter after she seeing that it did not provoke any blushing or stuttering from her middle brother.

"But, Jamie, _you _take Divination!" Albus objected incredulously. He was currently in the throws of fundamental conflict: absolute commitment to Julia's happiness and unflinching loyalty to Rose's infallible opinions.

"Well, yeah," James admitted with a shrug as though the subject being rubbish and his sitting the course were unrelated. "What of it?"

Harry chose that moment to appear behind Albus and Ginny, wearing a smile of profound satisfaction in seeing his family. "So, ready to shove off? It's ten past ten."

Ginny jumped, sidestepped her husband, and backpedaled down the hall. Albus grabbed Milkdud, intent to throw him out the first available window (Lily's) and send him on his way. James nearly flatted his father in his haste to pack Remy, his lucky socks, and his Sonic Boom away as his mother had directed.

Only Lily retained her calm in the face of sure tardiness. She simply placed her silver headband in her hair, then threw her hairbrush in her trunk and closed the lid with a decisive snap. Then, she turned to her father and beamed. "Well, at least _I'm _ready."

Lily's utter lack of nerves was almost disconcerting.

* * *

A/N: Next up: Scorpius's POV, which I've got mostly written. I'd have added it too, but my computer shut down and deleted the last two pages. I have to write them over again. Urg!

~Mare


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